James lamont



(No liszl'el.)

J. LAMONT.

WATCH CASE. No 321,826. PatentedJ-uly 7,1885.

IZZWZZZ'OZ mlamo m1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES LAMONT, OF SAG HARBOR, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FAHYS XVATOH CASE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WATCH-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,826, dated July 7, 1885.

Application filed February .25, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs LAMONT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sag Harbor, Suffolk county, New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVatch-Gases, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to watch-cases, and its objects are to furnish means wherebythe lifting and hook springs may be retained in position in the ease center without the use of screws, to furnish a ring for the movement, which forms an effectual dust-protector therefor, and which, secured within the ease-center, retains the movement therein, and also stiffens and supports the back flat of the case-center, and also to furnish ready and convenient means for the seeurement of the ring and movement within the case center without any of the means of attachment being visible in the ordinary use of a watch.

To these ends, I take a Watch ease entire, made hollow on its interior, as usual, and provided with the recesses in its front bezel, or snap, through which the free ends of the springs pass to operate on the front cap. In the hollow are secured, by soldering or otherwise, two pillars or posts reaching from front to back of the hollow of the center, and having their exterior edge flush with the inner rim of the front back-snap. These pillars or posts are located at such points that the inner ends of the springs shall rest thereagainst when in position, and be prevented thereby from further backward movement, movement in the opposite direction being prevented by the active ends of the springs taking in the recesses in the front back center snap and in the ring, one post or pillar being arranged for each spring. In order to prevent the springs from slipping out of the hollow toward the interior, lugs are formed, one for each spring, upon the back of the hollow, extending, say, half-way, or thereabout, toward the front, behind which the springs are to be slipped into position. The ring used has an internallyprojecting flange at its bottom, upon which the back plate of the movement will rest, while on the extension of the inner edge of the flange, a

small shoulder is formed, just fitting within the back of the center, the movement being (No model.)

secured to this back flange in the usual manner. At its top the ring is formed, with an internal shoulder for supporting the front plate of the movement, while on the outside thereof is formed a front snap for securing thereto the bezel. This ring is furnished with recesses at proper points in its periphery, through which pass the outwardly-proj ecting and active ends of the springs. These recesses are only upon the outer body of the ring, and do not extend through the bezel-snap. To secure the ring within the case-center at proper points to coincide with the pillars or posts,

two small recesses are formed on the shoulder of the ring outside of the bezel-snap, and'similar recesses are formed, one in each post, these recesses being each the half of a screw-hole, regularly tapped or threaded, so that when in position the recesses registering two complete screw-holes are formed, in which may be seated the screws for retaining the ring in the casecenter, while the heads thereof are concealed by the bezel.

The construction thus generally described may be better understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of ease-center and ring embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the ring; Fig. 3, a section on line mm, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a section on line 00 00, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section of the ring. Fig. 6 is a section of the ring and center on line z z of Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 a section taken on the line a Z) of Fig. 4.

In these drawings, the referencenumeral 1 indicates the case-center, having the usual interior hollow, 23. Upon its front it is formed with a front back-snap, 2, and upon its back with the cup-snap 4 and back-snap 3, and the usual pendant, 20, is attached to it.

5 is the liftingspring, and G the lock-spring, the latter arranged to be operated on by the push.

7 7 are posts or stops within and extending entirely across the hollow frame front to back of the case-center. One is arranged for each spring and at such points from the recesses in which the outer ends of the springs take that the inner ends of the springs may take against and be stopped thereby, as shown in Fig. 4. The inner sides of these posts are just flush with the inner edge of the front flat of the case center. At points about midway be tween these posts and the recesses through which the free ends of the springs pass, lugs or projections S 8 are fixed to or formed on the inner base of the case-center, extending upwardly, say, half the width of the springs. In the inner side and at the top of each post or pillar a recess, 9, is formed, each recess being one-half of a screw-hole, and is finished as such.

10 is the ring, of a size to fit snugly within the case center and having the recesses 21 in its outer periphery to register with the corresponding recesses in the inner rim of the top of the case center, and forming passages for the action ends of the springs. At its top edge it has the bezel-snap 11, for receiving the bezel, and an interior shoulder, 12, on which rests the front plate of an introduced movement. At its base upon the interior is a flange for raising the back plate of such movement, and there is also a flat, 14, adapted to take upon the interior of the back ilat of the center, and which is bounded by a small projecting rim, 15, forming a flat which fits with in the interior rim of the back of the case-center, whereby a dust-proof joint at that point of the center and ring is formed. The flat 14 is made quite broad and passes under the back fiat of the center case, supporting it, thereby adding to its strength and preventing its being bent or jammed out of shape by the action of the cap thereon. In the exterior of the periphery of the ring and at its top two recesses, 22, are formcd,of the same character as recesses 9 9, and at such points that when the ring is placed in proper position in the case-ccnter, the recesses 9 and 22 will register and form a complete screw-hole, the introduction of a screw therein serving to securely fasten the ring within the case.

In using this construction of case the springs are to he slipped back of the lugs 8 until their inner ends abut against the stops or posts 7, when the free ends of the springs will take in their appropriate recesses, the latter preventing movement in one direction, the posts or stops PIGX'GlllJlDg movement in the other, while the lugs prevent slipping out of the hollow toward the interior. Thus they are held in place without any tapping of the case-center or the spring, and disfigurement of the casecenter and weakening of the springs avoided. I11 addition, secure retainment of the springs in position is insured by the ring, which fits within the casecenter so snugly that its outer periphery bears against the thicker and inner end of the springs, the posts and lugs, however, serving to retain the springs in position whenever and while the ring is removed from the Qcenter. The hollow can be readily got at for the removal of dust, rouge, &c., which may have found its way therein. and for its thorough cleansing and drying.

The springs in position, the ring is put into place and secured by screws passing into the screw-holes formed by the recesses 9 22, as be fore explained. The bezel being then snapped thereon, the heads of these screws are entirely concealed. The construction ofthis ring causes it also to form an efficient dust-ring for the movement, protecting it entirely against any dust or foreign matters which might sift through the pendant or the joints into the hollow.

It is evident that the mode herein shown of securing the ring and its contained movement within the case-center is applicable to openfaced as well as hunting case watches, in which former case the springs 5 6 would of course be dispensed with, as might be the lugs 8.

In forming the recesses 9 22, I have found it preferable to first place the ring in position with the recesses therein and in the posts unformed, and then tap the screwholes in both, the tap acting in both equally and forming a half in each.

\Vhen, however, it is desired to dispense with the pillars or posts, the improved ring may still be used, it being secured within the case-center by screws passing through holes 25 in the back flat of the center into holes 21 in the flat 14 of the ring, as shown in Fig. 6.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A case-center having recesses for receiving the free ends of the lifting and holding springs, posts or stops secured therein for preventing backward movement of the springs, and lugs for confining them in position, substantially as described.

. 2. A case-centerhaving posts or stops across the interior of its hollow and lugs upon one base thereof, whereby the lifting and holding springs are secured in position, substantially as described.

3. In a watchcenter, the combination of springs 5 6, posts or stops 7, and lugs 8, substantially as described.

4t. In a watch-case, the combination of a case-center, posts, or stops extending across its hollow for the ends of the springs to abut against, and provided with screw-threaded semicircular recesses, and a ring having similar recesses, whereby, when the parts are arranged for the recesses to register, screw-holes for securing the ring to the center by means of the posts or stops are formed, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with a case-center, of a ring having flat 14 and shoulder 15, adapted to form a double joint with the back of the center and support the cap-flat of the center, substantially as described.

6. The combination of 'a watch-ease center having posts 7, with recesses 9, and a ring having similar recesses 22, substantially as de scribed.

7. A watch-case center having posts 7 with interior recesses, 9, formed and finished as the IIO I halves of screw-holes, substantially as de- Intestimony whereof Iaffix my signature in scribed. presence of two witnesses.

8. The combination of the case-center, the posts 7, having recesses 9, the lugs 8, a spring JAMES LAMONT.

5 0r springs, 5 6, and the ring 10, having recesses 22, the recesses being finished and formed \Vitnesses: each as the half of a screw-hole, substantially HENRY F. 000K, as described. F. A. K. BRYAN. 

